KhaoZ and Romania / your opinion on Nine Inch Nails?

Current mood:   argumentative
Category: Life

Going to Romania

So it’s been an interesting week. The weekend was tough in some ways but cool in others. I ended up in Liverpool on Saturday for a MA reunion with a couple of old friends and we went to The Krazyhouse which is a kick-ass venue in the centre of Liverpool. I had the most awesome time there rockin’ my little bum off.

In other news, I am hopefully off to Romania with KhaoZ Media on July 14 which should be loads of fun. I think it will be great to reach out to so many other young people who are as interested in the media as we are. It’s something I never thought I would get to do and I’m very excited to be given the chance.

It’s also cool because (quite aptly) SPHERE Magazine will be covering Sonisphere festival this year. That’s right the ultimate team of myself, Linda Chester and Helen Gilroy (the doctaaa) will be unleashed all-over that wicked little  festival on August 1 and 2 of this year...KEEP ON ROLLIN BABY!

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Your opinion on Nine Inch Nails?

 Carrying on from the above subject, people are talking a lot about how Fred Durst and NIN will react to each other as there is such a long history there and a storied rivalry. It got me thinking, just how important Nine Inch Nails have been (whatever your opinion) to both alternative and industrial music. I have realised more recently, and on a personal note because of the decline of my favourite artist Marilyn Manson.

Reznor commented on Manson recently, “During the Spiral tour we propped them up to get our audience turned on to them and at that time a lot of the people in my circle were pretty far down the road as alcoholics. Not Manson. His drive for success and self-preservation was so high, he pretended to be fucked up a lot when he wasn’t." He continued, "Things got shitty between us and I'm not blameless. The majority of it though was coming from a resentment guy who finally got out from under the master's umbrella and was able to stab him in the back."  

Honestly, the above was a little hard for me to swallow as a long-time fan, and so I went to Download festival earlier this month hoping that Manson’s performance would outshine all of these negative comments, and it did not. Whether he is ill, or just really f*cked up on whatever drug, it seems that (despite a decent last album) the age of the Antichrist Superstar is dead.

I digress, my point is that Reznor and/or Nine Inch Nails have without question outlasted or just plain overshadowed their doubters (Manson, The Bizkit) and some of those that they influenced (Manson, Gravity Kills, Stabbing Westward, pretty much every industrial rock act of the mid 90s actually...) and while it’s sad because all of the aforementioned made/make great music what is even worse is that now with the last US tour out of the way and the current NIN/Jane’s Addiction tour about to start over here, we are going to be seeing the last of Nine Inch Nails for a while at least.

Fortunately, while in the first instance this silly journo actually spurned a first chance to go see the band in Manchester in favour of an awesome trip to Romania with KhaoZ, fate hath smiled upon me again because I/we are hopefully going to cover Sonisphere. Result. I know, I did mention that earlier but it’s pretty important, so I make no apologies!

The thing is that, as I sit here now listening to ‘The Fragile’ album, I am as always, blown away by its complexity and its beauty. In the same breath I am compelled to ask for your thoughts on the band, are they totally overrated or the best thing since sliced PVC? Obviously this has been a crazy few weeks for tributes to legendary musicians. This one is slightly different, and I want to ask for your honest opinions on the band Nine Inch Nails and theartist Trent Reznor (one and the same), are they one of rock music’s pioneering bands or are they not?

The floor is yours and as always, I thank you for your time.

 All the love in the world,

Thanks,

Dom Smith =)

Currently listening:
The Fragile
By Nine Inch Nails
Release date: 1999-09-21